Takes its own path

Review: Apple Ipad Mini (2024) - Without Competition

The new Ipad Mini we are testing here raises several questions about what a tablet can contribute.

Erik Mörner

Published 9 September 2024 - 09:09 Modified 24 January 2025 - 16:44

The basic premise for the introduction of the first iPad around 15 years ago was its clear strengths, and they are just as relevant now. The iPad Mini, in this new version, has enhanced performance, a convenient format, and several new features under the hood.

The first iPad 15 years ago was supposed to be clearly better at much of what the iPhone can do while also surpassing a laptop in many of its capabilities. If the iPad wasn't better than these two gadgets in several ways, it wouldn't have any reason to exist.

Fits in the pocket

With the iPad Mini, the area of use has been further specialized. The big advantage is, of course, that the tablet easily fits in the pocket, that's how convenient and small it is. With a little force and good will, I can fit it in a jeans pocket, but it's more reasonable to pack it in a handbag or jacket pocket.

Review: Apple Ipad Mini (2024) - Without Competition

I am testing the model of the Ipad Mini that has 5G capability, and the first thing I do is ask my operator to convert my physical extra SIM into an e-SIM. The Ipad Mini does not have a physical SIM card slot, only supporting e-SIM. This is easy to do with my operator, and once I make the request, I receive a QR code that I scan with the Ipad Mini's camera, and then the connection is active, wherever I am, not just when I have Wi-Fi. If you have an iPhone, using the phone's connection via internet sharing is a convenient way to get connected without having to pay for an extra subscription.

I think having a connection is good anyway, because the size of the Ipad Mini makes it particularly attractive to use not only on the couch at home but also on the go. On the go or traveling, the Ipad Mini has both advantages and disadvantages. It might be wrong to compare the Ipad Mini with an iPhone, as the Ipad is a standalone product meant to stand on its own. Compared to the iPhone, I notice the screen quality, the lack of Face ID, here I get a fingerprint reader instead, and the fact that the Ipad Mini is too large for me to use with just one hand.

Twice the size of an iPhone

The screen in the iPad Mini is 8.3 inches, which gives a little more than twice the screen area you get in an iPhone. However, we are without the improvements on the screen front that the iPhone Pro models have benefited from in recent years, such as OLED, higher resolution, fast refresh rate, improved brightness, and always-on display.

It is also difficult to fully utilize the screen area. The iPad Mini is clearly something entirely different from a regular iPad, which also gives it special characteristics depending on the area of use. You should not see the iPad Mini in any form as a laptop replacement. I think it is best suited as something of a pocketbook. Apple's book app allows me to read e-books with significantly more enjoyment than on an iPhone, and movies are also better to watch here, as long as I'm alone. The screen is too small for multiple people to crowd and watch together.

In several other apps, it is difficult to really take advantage of the screen size. Many websites have such a layout, as the iPad Mini falls somewhere between a mobile and a full-sized computer or tablet, that there is often not much difference in how much information fits when I, for example, compare the iPad Mini with the iPhone. The iPad Mini is also more limited in its ability to multitask, to use multiple apps at the same time, due to the small screen. The iPad Mini can display both iPhone apps (with black borders around them) and real iPad apps that have been adapted for this format, but even iPad apps often have limitations in how well they can utilize the screen area. It's not always that I get significantly more information presented, and I find that when I commute, it can be easier to use the mobile phone that I can handle with just one hand than to use the iPad Mini, which requires both hands.

Moderately useful cameras

The cameras in the Ipad Mini consist of one on each side, both at 12 megapixels. Compared to what you get in even the simplest iPhone, these are simpler cameras. I notice it clearly in the dynamic range, how contrasts can become exaggerated, and how sharpness also suffers. The selfie camera, which is primarily intended for video calls, is unfortunately located on the short side. This makes the camera angle a bit awkward, and if you hold the tablet and don't let it stand on the table, there's a high risk of obscuring the camera with your hand.

One might think of the Ipad Mini as a good tablet for children, as the format makes it suitable and because games can more easily utilize the entire screen area without the limitations I have mentioned. Apple itself likes to emphasize that the Ipad Mini is built for Apple Intelligence, Apple's AI services that are set to be released in Europe next year. The basis for this is that the Ipad Mini is powered by the A17 Pro system chip, the same chip found in last year's iPhone Pro models, which also have AI support. When it finally arrives. We still don't know when Apple's AI will get Swedish language support.

Apple also likes to mention that the iPad Mini supports Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil Pro. For example, you can write math examples in the calculator app's math notes, and the iPad can calculate the answers for you. However, this requires you to purchase the pen (if you don't want to use just your finger), and a Pencil Pro costs as much as a third of an iPad, so it's a completely different investment.

Questions and Answers

What can I expect from Apple Intelligence support?

It's hard to say for sure today. What Apple has announced is that the iPad Mini is "built for Apple Intelligence" and that "Apple Intelligence is deeply integrated into iPad OS 18," but Apple Intelligence is not available in the EU. It is expected to come first in the spring with English language support. Other European languages will be added with support during the coming year, but nothing has been said yet about Swedish language support.

Should I see the iPad Mini as a standalone device or more as an iPhone accessory?

It is best as a standalone. The clear advantages a large iPad offers compared to an iPhone, with a large screen for viewing images, movies, and productivity, are largely absent here.

Do I need the model with esim?

With an iPhone, it's very convenient to use the phone to connect the iPad as well. The price difference between the iPad Mini wifi and the iPad Mini with mobile connectivity is about 2000 kronor, so it's hard to justify, while it also means you have to get an additional subscription with a fixed monthly cost.

An alternative:

Something else

There is hardly any real competitor, so the alternatives are mainly a larger iPad or an iPhone.

Test image

Acceptable image quality with shortcomings in dynamic range, sharpness, and contrasts. Above all, the selfie camera is placed on the short side, which is inconvenient for video calls.